The Destruction of the Vlkolak Ch. 08

While this is the last chapter of this storyline, it will be hard to understand if you haven't first read my Wolf's Pet series. Since there are so many characters and interwoven stories, it's best if read in order:Wolf's Pet, The Twins Take Over, and then Destruction of the Vlkolak.I will be taking a hiatus for a trip to the Rhine River. When I return, hopefully it will be with new adventures for the Baxter Pack and friends and family! As always, a huge thank you to Archangel_M, my terrific editor!

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January, 2012, Nevada, USA

Guillame was awakened by a knock at the door. "Come in." He sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to force himself awake. He swung his legs over the side of the bed just as Jószef entered the room. Guillame smiled. Jószef had been an able assistant and a delightful companion on this trip. And the fact he had found his mate while here was icing on the cake. Of course, Guillame had been sure that he would, based on the visions of his long-lost mate.

Jószef stepped into the room and was shocked at the disheveled appearance of his mentor. "I'm sorry to bother you, Guillame. But you wanted to know when the females had returned from California." Jószef was concerned about Guillame. He'd never seen him looking so unsettled before. Ever since meeting his granddaughters he just hadn't been himself. Something about the females had him rattled. Whenever he saw Katy, the flame-haired mate of the Council Archivist, he seemed so saddened that Jószef feared for his safety. The memories of his mate, who looked as much like Katy as to be her twin, would come crashing down on him. Jószef thought they should leave as soon as possible. Guillame would be more himself when they got home.

"Thank you, my boy." Guillame wanted to know everything that had happened with the Jensen Pack, and what had led to two more matings and two more panthers. There was nothing in Orsolya's visions about five panthers. He sighed loudly. Then he remembered his assistant standing near the door and looked up in time to see concern flash across his face. He smiled, in what he hoped was a reassuring way. "I'm fine, Jószef, really. I've been alone for so long, and now to have a bevy of beauties as my granddaughters - it's a lot for an old wolf to deal with."

"Ha! You're not old for a werewolf, Guillame. What are you, four hundred and fifty years or so?" For a werewolf, Guillame was closer to middle age. He was still a vital male. "By the way, how did things turn out with that blond at the full moon? I saw the two of you run into the woods together." Jószef winked, expecting the older male to grin at the very least. He didn't expect what came next.

"Oh, you mean Julia?" Guillame seemed completely disinterested. Not like a male proud of the conquest of a lovely young beta. "We went for a run, and then I returned here and went to bed."

"Oh." Jószef was at a complete loss as to what to say next. "Will you see her again?"

"No, I don't think so. She's very pretty, and I thought maybe we would have a rendezvous, but my wolf had no interest at all. I really don't like to force him." Guillame ran a comb through his unruly brown hair, patting it down as best he could. He could see himself in the mirror across the room. Oh well, it didn't matter anyway. He missed Orsolya's loving attention. She was the only one who had ever been able to cut his hair in a way where it didn't pop up in the back.

Jószef had thought maybe Guillame had finally loosened up enough to relax around females. But he still pined for his mate. It was obvious, if not to him, then to Jószef. "I'm giving Becky and Andrea their first Hungarian lesson. Would you like to join us?" Jószef thought he could get Guillame to get up with that offer. If Becky was going to mate with him soon back home, she would have to learn at least rudimentary Hungarian. And Andrea would be joining them. Since losing her mate during the fight with the Dire Wolves she'd wanted to leave here, and had asked to come with them back to Europe. Surely Guillame would agree to help them.

"No, I don't think so, my boy. If you don't mind, I'd like some time to myself." He gave his apprentice a weak smile and went to the desk, pulling out the picture album he'd brought with him on this trip. He slowly turned the pages, taking his time looking at each and every face. He lingered on one particular face, and smiled.

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"Jenna, what's wrong? You seem on edge." Alistair watched as his mate paced back and forth. He'd thought she'd relax when they returned to the compound, but her agitation had grown moment by moment. True, he hadn't known her long, but even in the week he'd known her she had never seemed anything other than centered and calm.

"I'm sorry, Alistair. I just have this strange feeling that there's someone else in my head. I didn't feel it until we got back here. I know what your consciousness feels like, and I can feel Tracy, Rebecca, and Danielle. I can even faintly feel Katy, but this, this is different. It's someone I don't know."

The fearful look on her face brought Alistair to his feet in a second and across the floor to hold her in his arms. Alistair pulled her close and stroked her soft black hair to calm her. He could feel her body shaking uncontrollably. He growled when he heard the knock on the door.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Alistair, but I think we need to talk."

The quiet voice of the Czech werewolf surprised Alistair. They barely knew each other; what could he possibly want to talk about? He kissed Jenna on the forehead, smiled, and opened the door. Konstantin stood there with his arm tight around his mate. They made a bizarre-looking couple, the tall silver-haired massive were and the petite blond. He had a very serious, stern look, and she had a look of terror, like she'd seen a ghost.

"What's wrong? Come in." Alistair stepped out of the way, which put Tracy into Jenna's direct line of sight.

As soon as Jenna saw the look on Tracy's face she leapt from her chair and was at her side. "Tracy, what's wrong?"

Tracy's eyes were red-rimmed from crying. "Don't you feel her? She's so lonely. We have to find her."

Jenna looked up at Konstantin. He shrugged his shoulders, letting her know he didn't know what his mate was talking about. "Tracy, who's lonely? Who are you talking about?" Jenna now knew she'd been right: there was someone out there trying to communicate. Apparently Tracy had a stronger connection.

"I don't know who she is, but she needs us. Please, can we go to her?" She began to cry again, and Konstantin knelt next to her, leaned his head against her shoulder, his arm around her waist.

Jenna stood up, looked at Alistair for a moment, then back at the sobbing little blond. "Do you know where she is? If you know, we'll go."

"I don't know, but we have to find her, we have to. She's been so sad for so long. She hides it from everyone." Her hands had been gripping Konstantin's arms, and he suddenly winced as she grasped his recently healed broken bone. Tracy realized what she'd done and wailed, "Oh my God, Konstantin, I'm so sorry." She began to cry again, thinking she had hurt her mate who had been so kind and loving to her in the last few days since they met.

"Shhh,můj anděl, you could never hurt me. Do not worry about me. I am only concerned with you." He stroked her face and kissed her gently on the lips.

Tracy loved it when he called her that, the Czech words for "my angel." No one had ever thought about her that way before. She sighed and leaned against his large frame. His arms closed around her and she snuggled into his chest. He made her feel safe like no one ever had.

Jenna thought for a moment and looked up. "I think we need to talk to Rebecca and Danielle."

An hour later, the four werepanthers and their mates had settled into the Alpha's office.

"Sorry for pulling you guys away from getting settled after the trip. But we have a little problem." She looked towards Tracy, who was still trying to keep from crying. "Ever since we got back I've had a feeling there was someone trying to communicate with me, and Tracy has had even stronger feelings, as you can tell. Do either of you feel anything strange?"

Danielle and Rebecca exchanged glances. Rebecca spoke for the two of them. "Umm, well, we'd been wanting to talk to you. We have been feeling 'someone' in our heads since we got home. We were going to ask you if you knew what was going on. But we don't feel anything as strongly as Tracy."

"I think we're going to have to call Katy back here. I know she and Rhys were going to stay with the Jensen Pack for a while, but I think we need her here more. It seems like this werepanther bond is stronger the more of us that are together. Maybe with her bond added, we could find out who, what, and where this 'someone' is." Jenna looked around the room and noted the agreement from everyone.

Late the following day a plane set down at the private airport and three people disembarked, walking to the black SUV that waited, the driver happy to see his Alpha back.

"Home, James." Carr grinned. He loved saying that to his loyal Beta. It always made him laugh. James didn't care, especially after almost losing him during the fight with the Dire Wolves. The scar on Carr's forehead was a thin white line now. It might even disappear entirely. He sure didn't need a daily reminder of all that happened last week.

"I wish Jenna would have explained what was so important that I had to come back right away. I don't know if I should be worried or excited or what." Katy had felt a nervous energy on the last leg of the flight. She couldn't put a finger on it, but something was different. She could feel her sister panthers, but there was someone else too.

"Well it can't be anything horrible, or I'm sure Lee would know, and I would know by now." Carr smiled as he thought about his lovely mate waiting for him. He'd hated to leave her even for a few days. He was really glad Axel and Anneke were so well matched and seemed to be falling into their roles without any problems. He'd agreed to stay and help them get acclimated to being the Jensen Pack Alphas, but they didn't need him as much as Axel had thought. Besides, Axel's father was a bigger help than even he'd imagined. Carr would be available by phone any time they needed him. He doubted they'd be calling much, if at all.

"I'm sure that Jenna wouldn't have insisted on your coming back so soon if it wasn't important. But we'll find out soon enough, little one. You are just too impatient." Rhys tapped a finger on her nose and then kissed it. He had noticed a sudden change in her demeanor when they had gotten within about one hundred miles of the compound. She was trying to hide something that was bothering her. He hoped she'd feel comfortable enough with him soon to share everything, good or bad.

James drove into the compound and dropped his passengers at the main house. He was surprised by the large group there to greet them. Not only Lee, the Alpha Bitch, but also all four of the werepanthers and their mates. Must be something important. He smiled when he saw Carr and Lee walk away arm in arm. Good, at least whatever was going on had nothing to do with the pack. The Alphas needed some alone time. Must be some panther issue. And a good thing for him too. If it was a pack issue, the betas would probably have been involved, and he'd have had to take time away from his new mate. Just the thought of his beautiful Sarah put a silly grin on his face. He made a beeline for their quarters. He knew she was waiting for him.

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"So we all feel this consciousness. What do we do about it? Even with all five of us here, we can't figure out who it is." Katy was confused; what were they supposed to do?

"Well, I know this sounds kind of strange, but couldn't we be kind of like a werepanther divining rod or something?" Danielle saw the blank stares facing her. "What I mean is, together we can tell which direction to go, and stronger feelings will tell us we're headed in the right direction. Maybe we'll get to a point where we can actually talk to it, or her, or him, or whatever." She shrugged her shoulders. "It's just a thought."

Jenna was deep in thought and grinned. "It could work. It's as good an idea as any other I've heard today. You're right, Dani, we can use the strength of feelings to tell us if we're going in the right direction. It may take us a while, but I think we can do it!" She looked around at her fellow panthers, who were all happy. And through her bond with Alistair, she knew that their mates, who were waiting in the other room, were decidedly not.

Rhys cleared his throat and stood. "From the looks on your faces, I get the feeling that your mates are thinking the same thing, that they will go on this quest without us."

"I think not." Alistair was in no mood to even entertain the idea of his new mate leaving the compound without him. And he seriously doubted the others would allow it either.

Suddenly the door opened and the five females exited, determined looks on their beautiful faces.

"I know you think we can't be trusted to take care of ourselves, but we are werepanthers. We're pretty darn deadly all on our own." Jenna stood in front of Alistair, arms crossed.

"Yes, and for some reason, there seem to be many werewolves who want you for themselves. I, for one, am not willing to share." He reached out and pulled her close to him. "I want you with me for a lifetime, Jenna. I will not, I repeat, will not allow you to leave here without me. So you'll have to think of another plan."

"Same goes for us!" Trey and Troy stood and spoke in unison.

Konstantin smiled at Rhys. "So we have five versus five. I think compromise is better than confrontation, yes?"

The next day they were standing in front of the house with the Alphas.

"Don't be shy about calling for help if you need it." Carr watched as the five newly mated pairs got into the Lincoln Navigators. They'd given them the biggest SUVs they had in the motor pool. It was either that, or a bus. The females had wrinkled their noses at that idea. He and Lee waved as the cars took off down the road. "Well, what do you think we can do to be ready for whatever else is coming our way?" Carr laughed and hugged his mate close.

Lee loved the warm feeling of her mate's arms wrapped around her body. "I don't know. Maybe we should have a few rooms ready just in case they find a whole new pack of panthers or something." They held hands and walked back into the house.

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"I don't like having the females in one car and us in the other. The closer they think they are getting, the more frantic Tracy is becoming. I do not like not being there to comfort her." Konstantin voiced what the others hadn't wanted to say. But they all felt the same. "There is only so much I can do mentally. She need's to feel me near her."

"I understand why they need to be in one car. Their bond is the strongest when they are the closest. And it is much easier for them to figure out which way to go. Although I have to admit, the sixth time we went miles out of our way before having to backtrack on the first day was a bit much for me. If not for that, we'd probably be there by now." Alistair's frustration was showing. Normally, he was seemingly imperturbable, but this was pushing him to the brink.

Rhys sat alone in the middle seat. "We have no choice, my friends. We can't help them in thisquest other than to tag along as protectors. This is their search, and we are not able to make it go any faster or more efficiently. So I suggest we enjoy the countryside. I've never been in Illinois, have you?" He looked out the window at the passing countryside.

Trey and Troy sat quietly in the far back seat. They were not really comfortable with being in close quarters with the commanding weres for long periods of time. They were used to the easygoing relationship they had with their own Alpha, but to be surrounded 24/7 by these three Council members was a little more than they were prepared for. They tried to just sit back and be ready if needed. They would let the three older weres have their discussions while they communicated through their own family bond.

The males sighed loudly when they realized that just after passing Chicago they were turning almost forty-five degrees to the southeast. This was the most meandering trip any of them had ever taken. But after four days of zig-zagging through the U.S., they had a feeling they had arrived. The females had collectively toned down their emotions. They figured it had to be a good sign.

The two cars rolled to a stop at the entrance to a long driveway that bordered East Fork State Park in Ohio, thirty miles east of Cincinnati. Jenna got out and walked to the second SUV. She leaned into the passenger window, speaking to Alistair. "This is where you guys hold up. We're doing the rest on our own. You'll all know what we're doing, but we don't think you should be there. You might scare whoever it is. You are kind of imposing, you know." She gave Alistair a dazzling smile, meant to make him melt. Of course, it worked. She leaned in and gave her mate a peck on the cheek. "I promise, if we need help, you will be the first ones we scream for."

Alistair watched her walk away and winced when he heard Rhys gnashing his teeth. "Do you have to do that?"

"Sorry, old friend." Rhys concentrated on relaxing his jaw as Konstantin chuckled.

The large Czech turned to face Troy and Trey. "And you thought Council Members were stuffy old wolves, didn't you?"

Trey and Troy looked at each other and smiled. They said in unison, "Never."

The females arrived at the tidy farmhouse at the end of the mile-long driveway. The fences were like the ones they'd seen in schoolbooks, the kind they built before barbed wire became popular. There were no poles set into the ground. It was made with logs, the shorter ones arranged into X's with the longer ones attached to make the actual fence. They got out of the car and stood for a moment, just taking in their surroundings. It was so peaceful here. The sign on the delivery truck parked nearby said "Saber Dairy", just like the sign over the driveway.

"She's in there." Tracy pointed to the house. She seemed to have the deepest connection with whoever it was they were tracking. They got out of the SUV and stood looking at each other.

"Well, who's going to the door?" Katy wasn't too keen on it being her.

"I just have this weird feeling that it shouldn't be me or Katy, and Tracy is too emotional. Rebecca, Dani, that leaves the two of you. You do everything else together." Jenna winked.

"Okay, then here we go." Rebecca grabbed Dani's hand and climbed the stairs to the porch and knocked on the door.

They heard heavy footsteps approaching and were shocked to see a drop-dead gorgeous man open the door. His body almost took up the whole doorway. His black hair fell over his eyes and his smile lit up his face. The two women stood in awe and just stared at him.

"May I help you?" He looked down at the two strangers and looked beyond them to see the other three women standing near the car. He cocked his head and asked, "Are you here to see my sister?" They just continued to stare, not saying a word.

"Vic, who's at the door?" A woman's voice carried through the house.

He turned to yell behind him. "Some ladies are here to see Sally. Would you get her for me?" The man turned back around to the women and flashed a brilliant smile. "Would you ladies like to come in while my wife finds Sally for you?" He opened the door wider and the two stunned women walked slowly through the door. "Your friends don't want to join us?"